Switch tongue



l citizen of the United States, and resident ofr Patented Mar. 1.".77` '1925. y I l, I

UNITED-STATE PATENT OFFICE.

- ISRAEL x. DIXON, or JoHNsroWN,',PENNsYLvANia.

je., y SWITCH Torreon.

Application filed November 26, 19.24. Serial No. 752,368.

. tain new and useful Improvementsin Switch therefore, have a better finish.

'.ioiigues, of which the following` is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to tongue switches and more particularly tothe tongues for such switches, and has for its obje-ct the provision of a removable heel pin in the heel portion ofthe tongues, which pin may be manufactured separate from the ltongue and,

Another object is to provide a pin that 'may be readily replaced when broken, while the tongues heretofore made have been provided with integral pins which. necessitated replacement of the entire tongue when the pin was broken. I

A further object is to provide a tongue switch having a novel construction, design and combination of parts hereinafter dei scribed and illustrated inthe vaccompanying drawings.

Heretofore switch tongues of the class to which this invention pertains' have been formed with integrally cast heel' pins,andy

considerable difficulty has been experienced in getting a good finish on the pins, and also on the base of the tongues for the areay adjacent to the pins, and also diie to the fact that in casting such a` small projection'on such a large mass it was difficult to cast perfect pins. A greatpercentage of thetoiigues cast were found to have defective pins and were necessarily scrapped.

The present invention entirely eliminates y the above difhculties `and, provides f pins which. may be either cast or machined sepa-V rately and then removably mounted in the heel of the switch tongue. l

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan of a portion of a switch structure embodying my invention. 'y n Figure 2 is a section on the linel II-II of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan of the heelportion of a switch tongue embodying my invention.

Figures 4l and 5 are sectional elevations on the lines IVIV and V-V of Figure?) respectively. y

Figure 6 is a plan of the removable heel pin. Figure 7 is a sectional plan of the heel pin..

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 2 designates the body portion of 'a standard switch, provided with the usual tread Vand guard surfaces. 'The body portion 2 is' provided with an elongated recess or tonguebed 3 having an enlarged cir;

terially greater diameter than the wi dthof the opening 7, flanges S are pro-vided on each side of the opening.

A heel pin A having an krelongated headI member 9, shank or stem portion 10 and a base portion-11 is adapted to be 'inserted' *i through the opening` 7 into the recess 6 and locked therein.

vThe head member 9` has its ends lprojecting materially beyond the shank or stem 10 of the pin, forming retaining lugs 12. In

operation, .the head 9 of the pin is adaptedl to be passed through the opening 7 into the recess 6 and the pin given a half turn so that the lugs 12 will overlie theflanges 8, thus holding the pin in position. Afterthe pin is thus 'mounted inthe recess it may be locked against accidental displacementl byV filling thek recess Gwith spelter or otherfsoft metall 14; which may be readily removed if it is desired to replace the pin when it becomes broken or worn. v

The pin A is adapted to hold in perfect bearing in the heel receiving portio-n3a ofthe tongue` bed 3 under conditions into a recess 16 below the tongue-bed.

Mounted within this recess16 is a lever 17, which =is fulcrumed on a projection 18, on

.the switch body 2. One end` of' a lever 17,

is provided` with ar fork 19', Aand the opposite end 20 is provided vwith a boss which is threaded toreceive a screw 21 having a jam nut22. The forked end 19 of the vlever 17 is engaged around the shank or stem 10 of the pin A. l

When the parts are assembled the screw 21 is screwed downto its proper place of adjustment and locked by the jam nut 22. As y will be readily understood from the drawings, the screw 21 has a tendency to raise the one end of the lever 17, thereby depress ing the forked end 19, and with it the heel 4- o'f tongue 5..

The advantages ot having` the pin A removable so that it may be formed separate Yfrom the tongue 5 Will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, since it eliminates one of the greatest causes et impertert castings.

`While I have shown and described only one embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that I do not Wish to be limited thereto, since various modications may be made Without departing from the scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

l. A switch tongue having a heel portion provided With a recess having a reduced opening' extending through the bottom face of said heel portion, and a tongue securing pin having a head portion adapted to enter said reduced opening and to engage the bottom Wall ot said recess when given a half turn.

2. A switch tongue having a heel portion provided With a recess having a reduced opening extending through the face of said heel portion, a tongue securing' pin having a head portion adapted to enter said reduced opening and to engage the bottom Wall ot said recess when given a hal' turn, and a filling` ot metal adapted to prevent accidental removal of said pin.

3. A switch tongue having a heel portion provided with a recess having' an elongated reduced opening through the bottom face of said heel portion, said recess being enlarged beyond the size` of said opening to provide langes around said opening9 a tongue securing` pin having a head portion adapted to enter said reduced opening and to overlie said 'flanges when said pin is given a half turn, and removable means for locking said pin against accidental displacement.

In testimon;7 whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

ISRAEL K. DIXON.

bottoni 

